Denmark
Denmark ( Danish : Danmark) is a country in Scandinavia , in northern Europe . Denmark together with Greenland and the Faroe Islands to the Kingdom of Denmark(Danish: Kongeriget Danmark). It is the southernmost country of the Nordic countries , south of Norway and southwest Sweden , with which it is connected by a bridge.South of the only land border that the country is rich, is Germany . The country also borders the Baltic Sea and North Sea . The capital of Denmark is Copenhagen(Danish: København). Denmark has a total area of 43 094 square kilometers, slightly larger than the Netherlands and almost one and a half times the size of Belgium, and consists mainly of a large part of the peninsula of Jutland and the three major islands of Funen , Zealand and Lolland , which along with numerous smaller islands of the Danish archipelagoforms. Of the 5,569,077 (2014), the bulk population living in metropolitan areas. The population density is 129.2 / km² (2014). Denmark is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy ; The head of state is Margrethe II . Greenland is part of the Danish kingdom, as well as the Faroe Islands. The country has two national anthems , a civil anthem ( Der er et yndigt country ) and a royal anthem ( Kong Kristian ). Denmark is a member of the European Union but not of the eurozone ; The currency is the Danish krone . The country is also a member of, among others, the UN , the NATO , the OECD and the WTO . Contents * 1 History * 2 Geography ** 2.1 Physical characteristics ** 2.2 Climate * 3 Population ** 3.1 Biggest cities of Denmark ** 3.2 Language ** 3.3 Religion * 4 Politics and government ** 4.1 Polity ** 4.2 Administrative divisions ** 4.3 Education * 5 Economics * 6 Traffic and transport * 7 Culture ** 7.1 Sport ** 7.2 Sights * 8 Famous Danes * 9 External link History The Constituent Assembly in 1848 Denmark was in the era of the Vikings in the 10th century united by King Harald Bluetooth († 985), which the people to Christianityconverted. Denmark briefly ruled England in the 11th century and in 1397 with Sweden and Norway combined. The union with Sweden lasted until 1523, and the union with Norway until 1814. The town of Ribe was already founded in 710 and is the oldest town in the whole of Scandinavia . From 1940 to 1945, Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany . Iceland , which still belonged to Denmark, it was during this occupation, to be precise, on June 17, 1944, independent . Denmark is since 1973 part of the European Union . Geography Physical characteristics Satellite image of Denmark Denmark is the southernmost Scandinavian country. Denmark covers most of the peninsula of Jutland and about 405 islands, of which Zealand , Funen , Lolland , Falster , Langeland , As , Mon. , Bornholm and Amager are the most important. As part of theEuropean Plain the country consists almost entirely of lowlands. More than 65% is cultivated. The bulk of Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland (Jylland). The capital is the largest of the Danish islands, Zealand''(Sjælland),'' which by a narrow strait, the Sound of Sweden divorced. Copenhagen with the Swedish Malmo connected to theOresund Bridge and tunnel. The islands of Funen (Fyn) (per bridge, railway bridge and tunnel connected to Jutland and Zealand),Lolland , Falster , Langeland and in the Baltic Sea situated Bornholm belong to Denmark. Future Fehmarn Belt Link , a 16.2 kilometer long tunnel between Rodby on Lolland and Puttgarden in Germany , will be ready to ship in 2021. The only land border of the country's border with Germany to the south. This border has a length of 67 km. To the west lies theNorth Sea , to the north the Skagerrak and east lie the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea . Furthest from the coast, people in the middle of Jutland, 52 km away. 4 The coastline of Denmark excluding Faroe Islands and Greenland, has a total length of 7314 km. The longest river is 158 km long Gudenåen in Jutland. The highest point is Mollehoj in Skanderborg , which is 170.86 meters above sea level. Climate Denmark has a temperate climate. The wind from the North Atlantic Ocean (a warm ocean current) usually ensures a relatively mild climate, but sometimes touching Baltic Sea ice covered thereby cut off warmer waters and the winter is severe. In February, the temperature fluctuates around 0 ° C. Average falls 600 mm rainfall per year. The driest period is between late April and early June. When the wind in winter blowing from the east, it can be very cold.The lowest temperature ever recorded was -31 ° C. In summer the temperature can rise by the same easterly winds above 30 ° C. Population Copenhagen is the capital and the city with the most inhabitants Even Greenland is part of the Danish kingdom, as well as the Faroe Islands . Besides the Danish majority in Denmark, there are Greenland , Faroese and German minorities. Biggest cities of Denmark The thirty largest cities in Denmark by population are: This summary is based on the population of 1 January 2010. 6 Language The language in Denmark is Danish , a North Germanic language with several distinct dialects. German is a minority in Southern Jutland (North Schleswig spoken). The main immigrant languages are Turkish , Urdu , Arabic , Serbo-Croatian , Faroese , Swedish and Norwegian . Religion The Christianity was around 1100 general penetrated. In 1536 was mainly due to the preaching by the "Danish Luther" Hans Tausen , the reformation of the state generally implemented. Many ancient church forms were taken over; also the episcopal ordination was maintained. Just as in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein is in Denmark there is a state church which, however, officially People's Church ( Folk Kirke ) is qualified.The Evangelical Lutheran Church as such is largely financed by the state. Each congregation is governed by a board elected by the members. Since 1947 , women are admitted to the ministry. The number of Danes that member of the People's Church is increasing annually by about 0.6 percentage point off. In 2014, 78% of Danes belong to the People's Church. In Copenhagen, 61% of the population are members of the Folk Kirke. 7 Besides the People's Church there are small minorities of other Protestants . When in 1849 the monopoly of the Lutheran religion was abolished, could the Catholic Church , which had been eradicated from Denmark, on a limited scale to be rebuilt (see also: Catholic Church in Denmark ). Muslims make up about four percent of the Danish population. 8 In several Danish media after the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States strong criticism of Islam. Politics and government Polity The Folketing , the Danish parliament, is located in the PalaceChristiansborg Palace in Copenhagen The five regions of Denmark Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, which according to the constitution is ruled 1953. Legislative power is held by the monarch (who is also head of state is) together with the parliament , the Folketing , which consists of one chamber with 179 directly elected members. The parliament is made up by a combination of a constituency system and proportional representation . Since 1909, no party had an absolute majority. From 1945, the Socialdemokraterne (Social Democratic Party) has long been the main political party, but in the late nineties began to reverse the trend. Right-wing movements such as nationalism / conservatism and liberalism were ruled booming and a center-right coalition with parliamentary support of the Dansk Folkeparti (Danish People's Party). From October 3, 2011 to June 18, 2015, the Social Democrats had held the reins, however. Executive power is exercised by the monarch and his or her ministers, the prime minister be headed. The latter is also the head of government. The Cabinet of Ministers is accountable to parliament and must have the support of the majority of that body. MPs who are appointed to minister, remain members of parliament. * Head of State: Queen Margrethe II (since 1972). * Government: Helle Thorning-Schmidt (since October 3, 2011). * Independence: before the 8th century . * Parliament ( Folketing ): one room, 179 members, four-year term. Administrative divisions Administratively, Denmark was divided until 2007 in 13 provinces and one autonomous city, Copenhagen. There were 270 municipalities. Local and regional authorities have a large degree of autonomy, already guaranteed in the constitution of 1849. The Danes consider the local autonomy as one of the most extensive in the world. Since January 1, 2007 Denmark consists of 5 regions (regioner) and 98 municipalities. Education The Danish system of public education was largely developed in the 19th century. Primary education consists of elementary school (eg Folkeskole ) where 9 or 10 years teaching must follow in order to move on to a higher education. There are universities in Aarhus , Copenhagen , Odense , Aalborg and Roskilde . Economy The agricultural sector has traditionally been an important part of the Danish economy For a long time Denmark was mainly an agricultural country, but after 1945 it expanded its industrial country drastically out so that today more than 25% and the agriculture less than 5% to the gross domestic product contributes. Other traditional industries of Denmark are fishing and shipbuilding, but also decreased. Yet Denmark has largely retained its rural character. Financial and other services, trade and transport are also important to the economy of the country. The purchasing power per capita in 2005 was the fifth highest in the world. The country's main agricultural products are root crops ( beets , turnips and potatoes ) and grains ( barley , oats and wheat ). There is livestock ( pigs , beef and poultry ) and a large fishing industry. Denmark has a commercial fleet of considerable size. The main products include foods (especially meat and dairy products), chemicals, machinery, metal products (made almost entirely imported raw materials, since Denmark has virtually no mineral resources), electronic and transport equipment, beer, textiles and wood products. Denmark is a world leader in wind energy for electricity and produces a lot of wind turbines ( Vestas ). Tourism is also an important industry. The main exports from Denmark agricultural and industrial machinery, teak and oak furniture, meat, fish and metal; The main imports are machinery, metals, motor vehicles and fuels. Major trading partners of the country are Germany , Sweden , the United Kingdom and other countries in the European Union and the United States . Denmark had in the eighties of the 20th century faced with serious economic problems, and in the nineties it had a high unemployment rate , large expenditures in the public sector and a large foreign debt. A tight fiscal andmonetary policy , led to economic recovery. Traffic and transport The Great Belt Bridge between the islands of Funen and Zealand Denmark has an extensive road network . The Danish motorway network has a total length of over 1000 km. All the major islands by bridges and tunnels connected. The Oresund Bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden , the Great Belt Bridge connects Funen and Zealand and the Little Belt Bridge connects Jutland with Funen; the Fehmarn Belt Link is a planned tunnel between Germany and Denmark. The roads are toll-free, with the exception of several major bridges and tunnels. Denmark has a total of approximately 2,100 kilometers of railways . The Danske Statsbaner is the biggest carrier in terms of passenger traffic. Copenhagen has a subway and on the Copenhagen Airport , the main airport of the country. There are airports in Esbjerg , Aarhus , Aalborg and Billund . Hanstholm is the starting point of several ferries. Smyril Line sails weekly to Bergen (Norway), Seyðisfjörður (Iceland), Torshavn (Faroe Islands), Lerwick (Shetland Islands) and Scrabster (Scotland). Fjord Line sails from Hanstholm to Egersund , Stavanger and Bergen . Master Ferries sail to Kristiansand . This city is from Hirtshals also by Color Line sail. Stena Line sails the routes Fredrikshaven- Oslo and Fredrikstad Harbor - Gothenburg. There is a ferry service between Scandlines Puttgarden and Rodby . OfBornholm speed BornholmerFærgen to Køge and Ystad , with connections to Copenhagen . From Esbjerg they also sails to Fano . Culture Writer Hans Christian Andersen Amalienborg Sports The most popular sports in Denmark, handball and football . The level of the top handball league in Denmark is leading the rest of Europe. The highest football league in the country called the SAS League , where 12 clubs play against each other. The long coastline are also water sports like sailing possible and these are therefore widely practiced.Just like Netherlands , Denmark is also a real bike country, mainly thanks to the flat landscape. Cycling is therefore a very popular sport and there are also a number of Danishcycling teams , including Saxo Bank-Sungard is the best known. Some familiar (old) -wielrenners are Michael Rasmussen , Bo Hamburger and Bjarne Riis . Because of the long winters are indoor sports like badminton , volleyball and the like also popular. Sights * Dyrehavsbakken , the oldest amusement park in the world, opened in 1583 * Amalienborg , the royal palace in Copenhagen, built in 1750 * Legoland in Billund , the oldest park LEGO , opened in 1968 * Christiania , anarchist enclave near the port of Copenhagen since 1970, with about 1000 inhabitants and 750,000 visitors per year * The Little Mermaid , the famous statue in Copenhagen On the World Heritage List of UNESCO are: * Mounds, Runic Stones and Church Jelling , since 1994 * Roskilde Cathedral since 1995 * Castle Kronborg , since 2000 * Icefjord of Ilulissat in Greenland , natural, since 2004 * Wadden Sea , natural, since 2014, also in Germany and the Netherlands (German and Dutch share since 2009) * Stevns Klint , natural, since 2014 Famous Danes External link * (S) Official website of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Category:Denmark Category:Country